Wyoming · Saratoga, WY

North Platte River float season

Gauge 06620000 on the Northgate Canyon into the Saratoga valley floats. A freestone river that pours out of Northgate Canyon into slow ranchland bends and riverside hot springs.

raftdriftboatkayak Fullest: Apr–Jun Leanest: Dec–Feb
North Platte River — typical flow through the year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 200 1k 2k 3k
median flow for the date middle half of years (25th–75th percentile) most years (10th–90th)

Right now at this gauge

loading CFS

Checking the live gauge…

Live reading from the USGS gauge page for North Platte River. Provisional data — subject to revision.

The year on this river

In a typical year at the Saratoga gauge, the North Platte River runs fullest Apr–Jun and leanest Dec–Feb. Where today's reading falls inside that rhythm matters more than the raw number — the same flow that feels thin in spring can be the summer norm. Half of all past June days at this gauge ran above 1,280 CFS; the January median is 80 CFS.

Median of daily flows in each month across this gauge's full record — half of past days ran above these figures, half below.
Month Typical flow (CFS)
January 80
February 90
March 132
April 529
May 890
June 1,280
July 435
August 195
September 106
October 133
November 135
December 97

Record context

This gauge has measured daily flow since 1904 — 122 years of record. The largest daily average ever logged here was 7,820 CFS, in June 2019. Rivers do that sometimes; it's why the safety panel above isn't decoration.

Planning dates? The trip-window checker shows what flows have historically looked like on any week you pick for this river, or see what a CFS actually looks like.

More Wyoming float rivers

Common questions

When is the North Platte River usually at its fullest?

At the Saratoga gauge, the fullest stretch of a typical year is Apr–Jun, with the single highest monthly median in June (about 1,280 CFS). The leanest months are usually Dec–Feb.

What is a typical summer flow on the North Platte River?

The July median at this gauge is about 435 CFS — half of past Julys ran higher, half lower. Check the ribbon chart above to see how summer compares with the rest of the year here.

Is the North Platte River safe to float right now?

No flow number can answer that, and this site never labels a river safe. What the data can tell you is how today's reading compares with 111 years of this date's history — well above typical means pushier, colder, faster water. Pair that context with a PFD, a look at the river from the bank, and a call to a local outfitter before you commit.

Which USGS gauge does this page use?

USGS gauge 06620000 (NORTH PLATTE RIVER NEAR NORTHGATE, CO), chosen because it best represents the Northgate Canyon into the Saratoga valley floats. Daily records here reach back to 1904.

Data: USGS gauge 06620000, approved daily records 1904–2026, retrieved 2026-08-07. Live readings are provisional and subject to revision. U.S. Geological Survey data is public domain.